Cutie Patootie

Spontaneous outbursts of "Cutie Patootie" have come Bianca's way as we have been out and about lately.   The Urban Dictionary's definition:  'Someone or something so cute the word itself has to morph into something cuter, thus cutie patootie was born".

July 2010

mother and daughter

Bianca and Erika reunite at the end of the day. 

 

Bianca buffet

Sometimes kids are picky eaters.  I was notorious for not eating.  The most dreaded phrase that I was sure to hear at family gatherings for big meals was.."She eats like a bird".  .  I cringed waiting for it and it never failed.  Well no wonder because I pretty much had myself on a starvation diet.  There were only a few basic foods that I liked.  My mother would say I was the only person she knew who would just forget to eat.   It didn't seem to affect me other than being a skinny kid, I was full of energy from day to night and had to be called in at dusk and still wanted to play.
 
It is gratifying though to feed a child who enjoys eating especially after they have played for hours outside.   Climbing on jungle gyms, racing to and fro and jumping off things really builds the appetite.   While I was preparing various things for dinner, Bianca would come looking and picking.  So dinner ended up being an on the counter affair feasting on one dish, then the next and so on.
               
                                                     

  

Class Reunion of sorts

                                     

'old' friends

Absence makes the heart grow fonder they say.  Bianca, Hale and Hazel were quite fond of each other while attending Cedar House playschool as 4 year olds.  Monday they reunited  one and a half years after going their seperate ways.  Now that is a long time in child years.  A quarter of their lives.  I did the math.  No wonder they were so delighted to see each other again.

There was much squealing of delight, laughter and non-stop running toward our destination at the park.  Hazel's mom Denise and I could not possibly keep up.  But they dutifully stopped at intersections until we were close enough to see and dashed off again leaving us in their dust.  

Denise is the mother of 4 girls between the ages of 10 and 6 so she knows a thing or two about tears.  She said it would be a different story on the way back.  She calls it the trail of tears to home. 

 After wearing themselves out to the edge,  having experienced wounded feelings and territorial disputes, some of the initial joy had been diluted a bit with the reality of getting along with others in the world.

 A wearied but wiser walk home 

Holding hands on the trail home

Jewel of a park Marymoor

Cape Jewelweed

I have read that Marymoor Park is the crown jewel of the King County park stystem.  I have been wanting to go there for some time.  So my adventure partner Joanna and I did make the trip and were delighted by the beauty and the perfect weather that awaited us yesterday.   We pored over the varous maps and trail guides and found that we were both a bit map challenged.  That made me feel in good company.  Our goal was bird spotting along the Audubon Birdloop trails.   We weren't there at the best time for seeing the birds but Joanna soon was able to spot and hear a few that added up to a list of 5 or 6.                                                                          
                               
We started along the Grassy Meadow trail
                                       

                       

                           
 
       Entering
the Sheltering Forest trail

Looking toward Lake Sammamish from the platform at the end of the boardwalk

It did make me smile

We found a picnic spot looking over a large grassy field  on the Clise Mansion grounds where we watched a few of the seasons first colorful leaves drifting to earth mingled with the  flitting dragonflys darting to and fro and everything sparkling in a sundrenced light.   It was that perfect.  

Windmill on the Clise Mansion grounds

Summer Fun

Next week is back to school for the little girls who have been my joy to spend some time with as they play, giggle and exhibit just all around cuteness.   A sampling of summer fun 2014

The final touch to a perfect summer day is a tasty and huge ice cream cone.  You can just hear the 'hmmm this is so good'

Summer camp friends on a golden hot day.   The Hiawatha summer camp program and the super wonderful counselors there made every day a fun day.

A summer birthday party pile on.   I was a little nervous about the bottom person and the rough and tumble abandon.  But all came right in the end with bones intact and excess energy well used up.

The perfect climbing tree.  What more can you ask.

A group of girls.. a gaggle of girls.. a giggle of girls?   What ever they are discussing or planning, I'm sure its all sugar and spice and everything nice.

Exploring with friends

I was so happy to join Joanna and Becca for walking on the bridge and other adventures.  I am always reading the posts about their fun outings and yesterday I got to be in on the action in person.

First the pleasant, verdant and then get the heart pumping walk to UW activities center

   

Canoes at the ready

Lolling about in the Lily pads

Suzzallo library stairs

Suzzallo reading room

A walk through the UW campus convinced me this would be just the place for Bianca in 12 short years.

     We ended our day with a  yummy lunch followed by a giant ice cream cone.  I didn't know I was ordiering the giant size and I struggled mightily to finish it before the bus came.  Alas I didn't make it but it was a delicious effort.    You can see Joanna's pictures  at Joanna's dabbling duck take on our day.